Paul Waggoner - UPDATE

On December 29, 2010, about two weeks after his incarceration, Paul was released from the National Penitentiary. I am so happy that this whole ordeal is over for many reasons: 1) LP is FREE 2) I don't have to endure the comments and the fakeness of some people. What admire about LP is, despite all he went through, he gave his first interview and did not bash anyone like some others would have done. This is what makes LP LP. He is different. I was happy to see how calm and collected he was. He even grew a beard and looks like he somehow managed to put on some weight or maybe it's the TV...

This person has been saying that "the Pauls need to leave Haiti ASAP because there are other places that need them, that would protect them and wouldn't treat them that way..." Fact of the matter is, this can happen anywhere to anyone. I have no doubt that there are other places that need them and wouldn't treat them like they were treated in that "shithole", as some people call Haiti when they are anonymously commenting on blogs (I have a feeling when not anonymous, they profess their "love" for it...). I hope, no matter where they choose next, none of the Pauls or anyone genuine, with good intentions and who REALLY helps would have to go through this again.

I want to thank LP & BP ~ Big Paul AKA Paul Sebring for all they've done in/for Haiti. It was a rough ride but I hope they at least have one good memory of the place. Hopefully, someday, they would be able to go back and visit a better Haiti that they have contributed to. I am not seeing a better Haiti anytime soon, but you never know. After all, miracles do happen.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King Jr

Free Paul Waggoner!

While volunteering in Haiti back in February 2010, I met Little Paul (Paul Waggoner). As soon as our group got inside the hospital, he introduced himself and I liked him right away. I usually don't "click" with people like that. It takes me time. But Little Paul was different. That same night, we sat at the balcony, joked, he let me use his laptop, we added each other on Facebook etc... I still didn't know all the names of those I went with. I still don't. Maybe two...

 Little Paul was simply special. He worked HARD, lived in a tent on the roof of the hospital with all of his possession in his backpack. LP came to Haiti on his own after the earthquake simply because he wanted to help. He didn't want to sit around and wait for organizations to call him up. Although LP has NEVER been to Haiti before that, he found his way there and never really left, except for one or two week.

I found LP in Haiti, I left him there and he had no intentions to leave. LP and I never lost touch. If he doesn't hear from me, he sends a message on Facebook or I call him. As a matter of fact, LP recently met my dad who still lives in Haiti and has a small orphanage there. My dad also liked him instantly, not because he was a "Blan", because my dad worked with missionaries all his life, travels in many states with some. So,  "Blans" don't surprise him or get him excited like that. After meeting LP, he told me "he is such a "cool" guy! He cares for people and don't act like some of them do". After that meeting, They talked on the phone again, and the last conversation between them, Paul was going to get him some books for the kids. But he didn't get to do it because he is now in jail, falsely accused of a bogus, ridiculous crime that he did NOT commit!

LP is charged with kidnapping of a dead child! Back in February LP assisted a father who brought an almost dead child to the hospital, Paul helped him. The kid got to the doctor and died. See the whole story here: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/12/17/haiti.american.jailed/index.html?hpt=T.2 . LP did NOT take this kid, had nothing to do with anything beside helping the dad.

As a Haitian, who met LP, who knows LP and still keep in touch with him, I am outraged by this case! This is pure BS and people trying to make money on someone who was really helping those in need, unlike some others! LP rescued children from very bad situations, who had no one, no name, no one would know they are missing, but he didn't take them. He helped them! Along with Big Paul, his friend and co-founder of their organization, which they founded recently, he has been doing a great job in Haiti (believe me if I say so!) I usually don't endorse organizations, but "The Pauls" were the only ones I tweeted, facebooked about, asking people to donate and support their great work in Haiti. They never asked me to do a thing. I took it upon myself to do so. I stopped tweeting about them after their organization became structured and had its own twitter page. I still endorse their organization, MMRC Global, as one of my favorites that does not waste money on "administrative fees", but despite their great work, they are greatly underfunded.

As a Haitian, I am disgusted with what they are accusing LP of and to see how someone can blatantly lie on someone else like that when he knows that he is innocent! Unless this man is absolutely crazy, clinically insane, it's sick that he is trying to accuse an innocent or trying to get money off of his dead son! I wanted to write this to tell all that LP is an innocent man sitting at the disgusting Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince, for no reason and needs to be released! LP is one man who filled rooms with food for hungry orphans, helped pregnant women, got blood for critically ill people; he personally helped a raped victim for me and my list can go one... LP is an innocent man.

This baby was born prematurely and was not provided an incubator  "because there was none'. So, LP built one for him. he died almost a week later. But LP did what he could. He cried when this little guy died.This is the LP I know.

While sitting on the roof of the hospital, together, Paul once told me "I am not a saint. I have a past. But THIS is what I want to do. I finally know what I was born to do. I enjoy doing this! I'm not sure when I'll leave here." I responded to him "You'll become one of those "Blan Haitians" I will come to your house next time I come to Haiti." Paul's past is not a "revelation" to me. He beat up a pedophile and deserves a prize for it. Not a record (but that's just my opinion). We spoke last week, and he was inviting ME to Haiti for Christmas "You have to come, Charnie. It will be fun!' I couldn't stop laughing, thinking "He did become a Blan Haitian!" I am disgusted that someone can be so sick to frame him like this!

During this ordeal, last time I exchanged emails with Paul while he was incarcerated in a jail before his hearing, I told him "I hope you'll leave when you get out (not adding the "At least for a moment")",  LP's response to me was "I don't want to leave. I have 100 kids that depend on me and what we do for them. I won't be another wolf ticket to them".

Whatever LP did in his past, when I met him, he was a changed man. A man with a big heart! He protected me like he was paid to do it! He passed on going out with his friends one night to stay with me because he didn't trust some guy who was saying certain things to/about me. He sincerely told me that his reaction would be BAD if he came back and found out that he has even touched me (since I was the only one in my group left behind that night)! This is LP. He loves to protect people, especially children and women.


I'm praying for his safe and early release. LP already knows that I have a lot of love for him! Can't wait to hear his voice again as a free man!

Shame on Samaritan's Purse!

About ten months ago, Samaritan's Purse tweeted a job opening in Haiti. I immediately showed interest in the job because I have a cousin who matched the qualification requirements perfectly. It was about two months after the earthquake and a job was number one priority for everyone. As soon as I tweeted Samaritan's Purse about the job, they followed me and sent me a direct message, telling me what to do. I did everything they asked for, I even had him get the letter from the pastor of his church to show his involvement, as part of his "qualifications", which I found outrageous! I spoke and exchanged emails with Amy G. of HR who assured me that he is under "serious" consideration for the job and that we will get a request for an interview soon.

A month later, when I still did not receive the call, I DM'd Samaritan's Purse on Twitter, no response. I emailed that Amy G. of the HR department, no response. I called and left a message, never got a call back. I believed them when they told me that my cousin would at least get an interview. Maybe because they are "Christians" and somewhere in me, I believed that they would not blatantly lie like that. But when I tweeted about my experience, I found at least two other victims of Samaritan's Purse: just like my cousin, they were very qualified candidates who were promised interviews but never got the call. Haitians don't usually get jobs they are qualified for at some of those organizations, unless of course you know someone who knows someone... But if you want a driver, cleaner, run-errands job, they'll certainly hire you, despite having degrees that make you qualified for other positions.

Nonetheless, I never actually named Samaritan's Purse publicly as the organization who put us through this whole ordeal; but after seeing that they are bringing Sarah Palin to Haiti for a photo-op, I could no longer help myself. It's so despicable to see how so-called Christians and Christian organizations use the poor for their own gain. I grew up seeing "Missionaries" up close and very personal. While there were some who really cared and wanted to help, I met some who were all about their bank accounts, take pictures of poor children and use them in churches around the U.S. to collect money. I met some who were racists and thought Haitians didn't deserve the best. My father worked for more than one of these "Christian organizations" and many times he had to put his foot down to get paid to pay my school tuition because "the boss" didn't find it necessary that he is spending so much money on school for me, "it's not worth it" he said. But I'm sure his kids got proper education here, in the U.S. and he never thought it was not worth it.

Seeing how Samaritan's Purse is unscrupulously using the poor and Haiti to boost Sara Palin's image for political gains is sickening. I'm sure pictures of her holding a black baby, smiling or distributing gifts to "the poor Haitian people" will be all over her website as part of her "foreign and international" experience, besides being able to see Russia from her house. Shame on Franklin Graham for using Haiti like this for his personal gains. I am simply disgusted, especially when these people call themselves Christians.

Is Sarah Palin on a "humanitarian mission" or a "campaign mission"? Where has she been since January 12th? Why haven't we heard Mrs. Palin at least mentioned Haiti in a speech or even a tweet or a Fcabook post? Why this sudden interest?

Below is one of the first pictures tweeted by her entourage.

 Shame on Christians like Franklin Graham who use Haiti like this. It's sickening and reprehensible how people constantly use the poor. No wonder they try their best to keep Haiti where it is by refusing to hire Haitians or pay them a decent salary. They only focus on handouts and offering them Jesus in exchange of a plate of food "if you join my religion, I'll help you". I wonder... WWJD?